The power of dirt: an exploration of secular defilement in Anglo-Canadian culture

Dans cette communication nous établirons que les seuils culturellement établis distinguant le pur de l'impur constituent une dimension centrale de la construction d'identités et leur maintien. De plus, dans des cultures caractérisées par des formes structurées d'inégalité, ceux qui occupent des positions avantageuses sont positionnés de manière à réaffirmer leur situation au moyen de la gestion de violations d'identité, c'est-à-dire de souillure. Afin de développer cette thèse nous examinerons attentivement la dynamique des relations culturelles impliquées par les relations entre les sexes et l'inégalité des sexes. En particulier nous présenterons des données qui nous permettront de définir des seuils de répugnance par sexe.
In this essay we contend that the culturally defined boundaries distinguishing the pure from the impure constitute a central dimension of identity construction and maintenance. Moreover, in cultures characterized by forms of structured social inequality, those occupying positions of advantage and domination are positioned to reaffirm their situation through the management of identity violation, i.e. defilement. To develop this thesis we focus on the cultural identity dynamics of gender relations and gender inequality. In particular, we present data which permit us to define thresholds of repugnance and finicality by gender.     

Effects of DISCOVER on the Career Maturity of Middle School Students

This study evaluated the effects of DISCOVER (American College Testing [ACT], 1991), a computer-assisted career guidance system, on the career maturity of 38 students (22 girls and 16 boys) enrolled in a rural middle school. Students randomly assigned to the treatment group worked with DISCOVER for approximately 1 hour a day over a 2-week period, whereas students in the control group did not have access to the DISCOVER program. Results indicated significant gains in career maturity among students in the treatment group (p <.05).     

Two theories of historical materialism

Theory and Society -     

An Exact Analysis of the Multistage Model Explaining Dose-Response Concavity

The traditional multistage (MS) model of carcinogenesis implies several empirically testable properties for dose-response functions. These include convex (linear or upward-curving) cumulative hazards as a function of dose; symmetric effects on lifetime tumor probability of transition rates at different stages; cumulative hazard functions that increase without bound as stage-specific transition rates increase without bound; and identical tumor probabilities for individuals with identical parameters and exposures. However, for at least some chemicals, cumulative hazards are not convex functions of dose. This paper shows that none of these predicted properties is implied by the mechanistic assumptions of the MS model itself. Instead, they arise from the simplifying "rare-tumor" approximations made in the usual mathematical analysis of the model. An alternative exact probabilistic analysis of the MS model with only two stages is presented, both for the usual case where a carcinogen acts on both stages simultaneously, and also for idealized initiation-promotion experiments in which one stage at a time is affected. The exact two-stage model successfully fits bioassay data for chemicals (e.g., 1,3-butadiene) with concave cumulative hazard functions that are not well-described by the traditional MS model. Qualitative properties of the exact two-stage model are described and illustrated by least-squares fits to several real datasets. The major contribution is to show that properties of the traditional MS model family that appear to be inconsistent with empirical data for some chemicals can be explained easily if an exact, rather than an approximate model, is used. This suggests that it may be worth using the exact model in cases where tumor rates are not negligible (e.g., in which they exceed 10%). This includes the majority of bioassay experiments currently being performed.     

Perspectives on Cancer Prevention

Cancer prevention is a major component of cancer control, which also comprises screening, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. Preventive approaches need to be congruent with those adopted for other chronic diseases, with a major impact in reduction of incidence and mortality of many common cancers to be expected from smoking control and dietary modification. Increasing interest is now being paid to other environmental causes of cancer, and to gene-environment interactions. However, one of the major research needs remains the evaluation of better ways to convince people to make the necessary changes in their lifestyle that will reduce their risk of cancer.     

How the Rip Van Winkle approach helps oil executives plan

Restructuring has been the oil industry's response to stagnation in profits. After a steady period of profit growth the industry faces the challenge of decline. Currently it is adapting by getting back to basics, i.e. divesting assets and reducing staff; forming a closer understanding of its markets and uncovering new ones. Planning is now too important a strategic activity to be left solely to planners, and at Atlantic Richfield the most important response to restructuring has been the direct involvement of senior executives in the planning process.     

Job relocation: Stress and the role of the family

Job relocation is an accepted feature of the career structure for an ever increasing number of employees. Moving from one work environment to another, coupled with relocating the family, can induce stress and so influence performance at work. This paper reviews the available evidence concerning possible roles the family may play in the relocation process. It is argued that a systemic approach is ideally suited to unravelling the complex relationship between work and home environments that underlies the process of individual and family adaptation to relocation. This relationship must be understood in order to provide constructive advice to employers concerning effective relocation policies.